lucky day

I am pretty good about remembering birthdays.  I always have been — even before electronic calendars with programmed alerts where in vogue.  But sometimes I forget the card.  Yesterday was Lisa’s birthday and I forgot to mail her a card.  Lisa is Eric’s sister.  Eric is Alexander’s absent father.  Lisa also is one of my favorite people.  She is kind, thoughtful, and intrinsically cool.  If I wanted to know the newest, hippest place to go in NYC, she would know.  Oh, and did I mention, Lisa lives in LA. 

To avoid being card-less again, I go to my favorite card store, Papyrus.  In the back I see a table with a big sign, $1 CARDS.  How nice, especially since most of the cards here are over $4.

I begin sorting through the table of cards.  I hope I have a need one day for the gorgeous IT’S A GIRL and IT’S A BOY cards I select.   I also find some birthday, get-well, and anniversary cards I like.

Two women walk in as I am making my picks. They say to the very-chirpy, smiley sales guy, “Do you carry sympathy cards?”  So pleased to be able to respond in the affirmative, the sales guy says, “We sure do.”  But then he quickly realizes the meaning of the request, and throws in a somber, “I’m sorry for your loss.”  It is almost comical.

As he is leading the women to the appropriate card section, I hear him say, “Is your loss a person or a creature?”  The two women are confused.  “You mean like a bird or a dog or something?”  “Yes,” he replies.

I go to pay and the sales guy has now returned to his chirpy demeanor.  “Today’s your lucky day.  We just got word from corporate that all the $1 cards are 50 cents.”  I thank him and he responds, “You are quite welcome my friend.”

Wow; he’s right.  Cards for fifty cents and a new friend.  I’m having my hair colored later today.  Maybe it’ll be half off there too!  Why not?  I'm having a lucky day.